Look to the northwest corner of Neyland Stadium’s interior seating and you’ll see a large sign honoring Peyton Manning’s retired No. 16 jersey. The Hall of Fame quarterback has become synonymous with Tennessee Football and will always be a major chapter in the program’s storied legacy.
Manning changed the course of the UT athletics department when he decided against his father’s Ole Miss program and instead took his talents to Rocky Top. By the end of his decorated collegiate career, Manning was a statistical juggernaut with several records to his name. He was also taken with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Since leaving Knoxville, Manning has still been an instrumental figure for Tennessee Athletics. It’s not uncommon to see him walking around the sideline for Tennessee’s biggest games each season. Most recently, he was in town for the Vols’ game against Georgia just a couple of weeks ago in Neyland Stadium.
Peyton won’t be the only Manning in town next season, though. Probably.
One of the benefits of the SEC’s new nine-game conference schedule is that its teams will see each other more frequently. Aside from each team’s three annual opponents, they’ll also have six rotating in-house opponents each season. That means that every SEC team will play every other SEC team, both home and away, every four years.
The Texas Longhorns are set to make a trip to Rocky Top during the 2026 season. The Volunteers and the Longhorns have only met up three times in program history, but all three have been in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Next season will mark the Longhorns’ first trip to Neyland Stadium.
While his fate regarding the NFL Draft is still unknown at this time, it seems likely that quarterback Arch Manning will lead the Longhorns into Knoxville next season. Manning could declare for the NFL Draft after this season, but speculation has suggested that he’ll stay in Austin for another year in 2026.
More From RTI: This Seemingly Basic Chris Brazzell Touchdown Put a Great Wrinkle on Film for Tennessee Football
Arch is Peyton’s nephew. He’s the son of Peyton’s brother, Cooper Manning. He was a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and is leading the Longhorns’ program as the high-profile starting quarterback for the first time this season.
It’s not surprising to see a Manning wearing orange in Neyland Stadium, but it will be a different thing entirely to see one dressed out in Texas’s burnt orange uniform with shoulder pads and a helmet.
It’s not exactly a “Manning Bowl” like the matchups we saw between Peyton and Eli in the NFL, but it’s the closest thing we’ll get to seeing it in Knoxville.
There’s no date set for the Tennessee-Texas matchup in Knoxville in 2026, but it will obviously be one of the most anticipated on either team’s schedule. Between the budding rivalries between the two programs, the “UT” moniker, the battle of the oranges, and now the Manning factor, this will be a must-see game on the 2026 slate.
Tennessee’s 2026 opponents are set. The Vols will play three non-conference teams, including at Georgia Tech, Furman, and Kennesaw State. Tennessee’s home SEC slate will be against Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kentucky, and Texas. The Vols will hit the road to take on Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football coverage.
